Fall on Campus

If your fall semester is anything like mine, it’s full of almost-familiar sights and sounds. Tailgating is back. Recruitment and intake are happening, in person or in hybrid formats. Students are gathering for classes, concerts on campus, and sunny breaks on the lawn. Organizations are hosting social events together. It almost feels like we’re picking up where we left off and it’s coming naturally. Like riding a bike… with a mask on.   

Photo by Julian Wan on Unsplash

But as we returned to our offices and residence halls and erased calendars full of activities slated for March 2020, we’re all very aware that we are coming back as different people. So much has been impacted; our energy, our goals for the future, our priorities, the questions we ask before planning events. However, despite all the change and uncertainty and never-ending pivots, we head into this fall with the excitement - and challenge - of knowing that we get to bring people together again. 

As we navigate this academic year together, there are a few things to keep in mind that can help us tap into the joy of ‘normalcy’ without overlooking the way our world has changed.

There is magic in the fraternity and sorority world’s ability to build connection and belonging.

There has never been a better time for fraternity and sorority to shine. We have seen this time and again through the pandemic, as our organizations found ways to stay connected despite distance and chaos. Now that we have the opportunity to be in the same physical location, take advantage! Let it energize you. Honestly, let it wear you out and cause some stress, too. It’s worth it to seize those connection points we have been cut off from for so long. It’s good for the soul, and it’s good for students’ emotional and mental well-being.

Some things have changed for the better. Keep them around.

Can we keep a virtual option for events to engage more members? Can we host online info sessions? Maybe we continue to encourage smaller, more intimate brother/sisterhood events that allow for authentic connections to form. Remember all those small groups our organizations created to provide coordinated, intentional check-ins? Keep those going! Connection doesn’t always happen in a large chapter meeting. We knew that a year and a half ago, but now we’ve seen it play out. Continue to focus on ways to increase access and connection with one another in simple ways.

Continue to make safety at gatherings and social events a priority.

We also talked a lot this year about safety; we wore masks at events, we trained officers and members on safety protocols, we kept event sizes manageable. Now that mixers, formals, tailgates, Parents’ Weekends, and Homecoming are back, how do we reinforce what we learned in a new (but also old) environment?  Fall 2019 was the last fully operational semester, so we have two years worth of members who haven’t seen the full FSL and college experience in action. Remember to prioritize really basic policy training, and throw in scenario-based learning to help illustrate what they could experience. Tap into chapter and council leaders to continue the message of caring for others and prioritizing decisions that are best for everyone involved. We’re all committed to the same goal of having a positive, fun experience; but we can’t get that if we aren’t safe.   

Take it slow, and check in frequently.

The fall 2021 calendar maybe shouldn’t be as packed as the fall 2019 calendar. Despite spending plenty of time at home, we’re all a little exhausted from the last year and a half. We don’t all have the same capacity for events and social interactions as we used to. Ease back into normalcy to avoid burnout! Choose a few high priority events to commit your energy to, and let some of the less important commitments wait until spring. Instead of hosting multiple social events per week, let’s have a few per month. If you can opt to do a fundraiser virtually instead of on campus, give yourselves that break. And remember that we’re all doing our best to turn the switch of normalcy back on; genuinely check in on one another to see how we’re doing, where we need support, what’s challenging, and where we’re thriving.

Show some grace.

Policies and guidelines are going to continue changing. Your members will continue to be frustrated. Volunteers and staff will continue to ask questions or try to enforce policies they didn’t create. Everyone is still doing their best, and everyone is tired. Assume good intentions, be flexible, and understand that no one person has the power to make the challenges go away. Ask good questions, be understanding, and resist the urge to take out any frustrations or exhaustion on the people who are on the same team as you.

And finally...have fun!

Yes there are challenges, and this pandemic continues to weigh on us all, but all things considered...we’re back. And honestly, we could all use a break from talking about it, right? Celebrate in person Bid Days, paint your face for Homecoming, play the music loud at the block party. There is joy to be found this fall and beyond, and we get to create it.

As Taylor Swift once said, we’re happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time. It’s miserable and magical! This fall is the return to normal we’ve all been longing for with the exhaustion and lack of clarity we could really do without. As professionals, volunteers, and chapter leaders, we all have a really exciting opportunity to redefine what normal looks like and create a meaningful experience for our members. While it’s going to continue to require creativity and will present some frustrations, we get to provide the life-changing experiences our organizations are built on and show our campuses what’s so special about this community. And that’s the kind of return to normal we can all get behind.